Funder: The Girl Generation
Project Name: Building Young Persons’ Capacity for End-FGM Activism in Nigeria (2017-2018)
The “Building Young Persons’ Capacity for End-FGM Activism in Nigeria” project is a 6-month school-based project implemented by Novel Association for Youth Advocacy (NAYA) and funded by The Girl Generation. The project which was implemented from September, 2017 to February, 2018, was aimed at creating and sustaining awareness on the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation practices among 2000 In-school Adolescents and Youth in 5 Junior and Senior secondary schools within Kuje Area Council, FCT, Abuja, in 6 months.
The overall goal of the project is to change the orientation of adolescents and youth with a view to creating a generation of informed youth furnished with the capacity to resist FGM practices and support future generations against participating.
The project targeted Youth as Anti-FGM social change agents who possess the capacity to change social norms by reaching community leaders and FGM practitioners through awareness creation on the social norms and gender inequalities that underlie the practice and the mobilization of community action against FGM.
AchievementsThe project set up 20-member school-based END FGM clubs in 5 selected schools in FCT with a total of 100 champions who were trained on the dangers of FGM with emphasis on its violation of human rights thereby equipping them with peer-to-peer End-FGM counselling skills.
The school health club integrated FGM education and sensitization into their routine activities.
The 100 champions reached 18 persons each (totaling 1800 persons) within the space of 5 months.
In addition, the project also utilized the print and electronic as well as social media to propagate its End-FGM messages. A media chat was conducted on End-FGM messages with 2 representatives each from health clubs of the engaged 5 schools. The goals and activities of the school health clubs were publicized in newspapers, radio & TV stations and social media platforms with emphasis on youth involvement in ending FGM.
